What Is Going on With Chicago Fire Firings and Hirings?

For decades, TV audiences of the ’90s and ’00s have been graced with the iconic shows of the Law & Order franchise, many of which are still going strong. The brilliant mind behind them, Dick Wolf, went on to successfully emulate the same multi-show model when he created the OneChicago franchise. Now having ballooned into another hugely popular TV dynasty, Chicago Fire was the show that kicked it all off back in 2012. With the matching success of spin-off shows Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and more recently, Chicago Justice, the shows follow the lives of various first responders, hospital staff, police officers, and legal officials in a fictionalized Chicago setting that often sees characters crossover between them.

Each has been hugely successful, with many fans and audiences loving them all and watching them together as a deluge of engrossing TV viewing since new episodes air consecutively on NBC. As the longest-running among them, Chicago Fire is currently in its 12th season, with a 13th already confirmed due to its popularity. Each show has undergone a host of cast changes, with many characters constantly leaving temporarily while others have left for good to make space for newer members who have kept the show evolving and fresh at every turn. Recent changes have left many viewers wondering why some main cast members have left Chicago Fire. To help keep track of it all, here’s a look at all the major changes to hit Chicago Fire now that Season 12 is in full swing.

Main Characters Who Recently Left Chicago Fire

While characters have constantly left the Chicago shows throughout their runs, Fire has recently had some major shuffles that have seen many seemingly indispensable characters leave. Since the show has already been confirmed for its next season, it can only be deduced that the producers are looking to take it into the future with more fresh faces and storylines. Here’s every major character who has left Chicago Fire so far and why.

Kara Kilmer as Sylvie Brett

As one of the Chicago Fire’s most beloved characters, Sylvie Brett has been with the show for 10 years. However, Season 12 revealed that she’s marrying the former captain of the fictional Station 51, Matt Casey. With the newly married couple leaving to start their life in Oregon, Sylvie has effectively been written out of the show — a decision that appears to be a creative one. A fan-favorite, she will be sorely missed after being a mainstay of the show for so many years. In a recent interview with TVLine, the actress discussed her exit.

‘I think this is a natural conclusion for the arc of Sylvie’s character… I’m very excited to see what else is out there on the horizon. There’s a lot of interesting content that’s being created right now. And I’m very satisfied with where things end up for Sylvie on Fire.’

Jesse Spencer as Matthew Casey

Matt had already left Chicago Fire in 2021 after Jesse Spencer, who plays him, had spent 10 years on it himself. By leaving Chicago on the show, Matt attempted a long-distance relationship with Sylvie until their marriage in Season 12 saw him briefly return so that her exit could be solidified. While his role was demoted to a guest star in later seasons, that decision and his eventual one to leave entirely were precipitated by Jesse himself, as he wished to spend more time with his family after a long career in television. As noted by People,

‘This was a difficult decision because I have loved the show from the start but there are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there’s some family that I need to take care of and 18 years is a long time. I was marking off these milestones and looking to the future … and it was time.’

Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide

One of Chicago Fire’s staples since its inception, Taylor Kinney’s role as firefighter Kelly Severide has been tied into the show’s main plots ever since. That was until his shock departure from it came at the end of Season 11 when the character was temporarily written out after going to Texas to take part in advanced arson investigations. Since he led the cast for so many years, his exit was a major upheaval for the show, but was necessitated by Taylor requiring a leave of absence for personal reasons.

While he briefly returned for the premiere of Season 12, the character basically disappeared when he was away and returned again for the wedding in Season 12, Episode 6, only to be slated for another disappearance in an upcoming episode. Since he’s been off investigating arson cases, there’s no certainty how this will all resolve itself, if he will be gone for good by the end of the season, or what’s really going on in Taylor Kinney’s life that seems to be behind all of this.

Alberto Rosende as Blake Gallo

After joining Chicago Fire in Season 8 as a candidate firefighter, Blake Gallo has been with the show ever since. However, Season 12 has seen him become another cast casualty after the character was written out. Rosende announced that he would be leaving, and it seemed he simply wanted to move on to something new as there was reputedly no behind-the-scenes drama behind his exit. The actor shared a story on Instagram when the news broke, stating:

‘When I decided to end my time with Chicago, it wasn’t easy. The people I’ve met were truly special, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime, and the story I got to tell was one that made me proud. Can’t wait to see what else is in store and I wish everyone the best in shooting the rest of the season.’

Monica Raymund as Gabriela Dawson

After being with Chicago Fire for five years, Monica Raymund, who played the popular paramedic Gabriela Dawson on Fire, made a personal decision to leave. She did return briefly in Season 7 but has since moved on to other roles. Her reason for leaving was confirmed when she spoke to the Chicago Tribune, stating that she was “hungry to explore a different role,” adding that:

‘I had been in Chicago for five years and just personally where I was in my life, I was ready to create my home and kind of plant some roots in Los Angeles.’

She went on to play Jackie Quiñonez in the Starz thriller Hightown. However, with that show announcing that it would end after Season 3, there’s always a possibility that she may return to Chicago Fire in upcoming seasons.

Lauren German as Leslie Shay

As a fan-favorite paramedic from the show, Leslie Shay was a beloved part of the first two seasons of Chicago Fire. However, she was shockingly killed off after being hit with a collapsed pipe while out on a call. Her exit was revealed as a writing decision for dramatic impact, with the writers explaining that it had to be a major character to really drive home the seriousness of the show’s themes.

Yuriy Sardarov as Otis Zvonecek

Another fan-favorite from the firefighters’ side, Otis Zvonecek, was also dramatically killed off battling a fire at a mattress factory after spending seven seasons on the show. Dying a hero, the writers explained that they needed to kill off a major character to remind audiences of the gravity and dangers of being a firefighter. Played by American actor and producer Yuriy Sardarov, he’s since appeared in shows like The Rookie.

Rome Flynn as Jake Gibson

Despite only being introduced at the beginning of Season 12, it was announced that Jake Gibson, played by Rome Flynn, had also departed Chicago Fire. Lasting just six episodes, the actor shared news about his exit on his Instagram while also giving interviews that hinted that his departure was likely involuntary.

Other significant characters who were written out early on in the show include Peter Mills (Charlie Barnett), Jessica Chilton (Dora Madison Burge), Jimmy Borrelli (Steven R. McQueen), and Dr. Hallie Thomas (Teri Reeves). While many of these characters’ exits have been sore spots for fans, every show in the franchise has experienced similar occurrences. Thankfully, they’ve featured plenty of new characters to keep things fresh, with a new addition for Season 12 recently being announced.

Jocelyn Hudon Added to the Cast of Chicago Fire

In the wake of Kara Killmer’s exit, Jocelyn Hudon (Hallmark films like Romance with a Twist) has been announced as a new cast member. Slated for a recurring role, the actress has been given the option of being a series regular. Given how often the One Chicago shows lose cast members, gain new ones, and have old ones return, there will likely be more shake-ups in the future, too. With NBC renewing Fire, Med, and P.D. for further seasons, fans of the shows can rest assured that there will still be plenty of drama, intrigue, and characters in them to become emotionally attached to — at least for the foreseeable future. Chicago Fire airs on NBC and is available to stream on Peacock and Prime Video.